High-altitude balloons have emerged as an increasingly utilized tool for the deployment of research, surveillance, and reconnaissance payloads. As compared to conventional means for payload deployment such as rockets and aircraft, which are technologically complex and capital-intensive, high-altitude balloons present a mechanically simple and low-cost alternative.
Lighter-than-air devices, such as balloons, offer a variety of advantages in comparison to other aircraft. For example, the advantages of lighter-than-air devices may include the ability to achieve ceiling altitudes of more than 100,000 ft (30 km), operational lifetimes of several days or more, small stowage volume due to thin and flexible envelope materials, stable flight characteristics, scalable payload capacity, and the low cost of manufacture, launch, and operation.
In the past, balloons have commonly been launched from ground sites. However, such launches can be difficult due to low altitude weather conditions like rain, storms, and hail, as well as other factors which can delay and prevent launchings. Further, availability of ground sites can be limited according to the geography and flora.
Launching balloons from aircraft can have significant advantages over launchings from ground based sites. Among others, advantages comprise the maneuverability to pursue changing weather patterns, the accessibility of remotely located or otherwise difficult to reach areas such as mountain ranges, coastal areas, flooded areas, and oceanic areas, as well as the ability to reach disaster zones or areas of time-critical concern in a timely manner.
In comparison to ground based launchings, the launching of a balloon from a host aircraft generally requires additional components to protect the thin envelope material of the balloon from stresses as caused by air turbulence in the vicinity of the aircraft, high air speeds, and/or tumbling that may result after ejection from the host aircraft moving at high speed.
The disclosure provided herein allows for the launch of one or more balloons from an aircraft. In particular, a container may be ejected from an aircraft, with the container having a first drag device, such as a parachute, to slow down the deployment speed of the container, reorient the container, and to deploy a main parachute consisting of an envelope which shields the balloon from on-rushing air whilst it is inflated by a gas tank located in the container. The inflated balloon can then be released through an opening in the parachute. During the decent of the main parachute, one or more balloons can sequentially be inflated and released.
Previous systems are limited by (a) the possibility to launch multiple balloons (U.S. Pat. No. 3,366,345), (b) generate considerable drag by means of a parachute as needed for low descent velocities with heavy gas tanks (U.S. Pat. No. 3,366,345), (c) provide shielding against air turbulence (U.S. Pat. No. 2,967,677), or (d) allow the launch of lighter than air vehicles (U.S. Publication No. 2015/0266578).